This semester students expected to come back to the same rules and regulations that had applied for the last two years. Instead they received something else. Students of Watauga High School received emails regarding two new updates to previous policies.
The first change indicating no phones could be used in the bathrooms seems to have impacted students less than the new policy changing the way Watauga High School handles tardies.
Students watched a video explaining the new tardy policy which dictates that 3 tardies in a class equal 3 days of lunch detention and 6 tardies in a class equals 6 days of lunch detention along with the suspension of the student's parking pass for a set period of time.
Many students felt this rule was unfair and should not be enforced. But regardless, the rule was set in a place by administrators, and it's important for students to understand why.
Vice Principal David Koontz, took the time to speak about the reasoning for the policy.
“Administration had a meeting during the end of last semester and we just talked about how bad the tardies were,” said Mr. Koontz. “We discussed different options for how to solve this problem and came up with the idea of giving consequences for students who were consistently tardy. The idea was that in order to prevent students from deciding that they can just be late to class it motivates them to appear on time at the start.”
Many students still wondered why only three tardies for a specific class equals a consequence rather than allowing students a higher number.
“The reasoning for this is we wanted a base standard for all students,” said Mr. Koontz. “That is why this policy applies in 3 days and grows from there.”
Students wondered if the 3 tardies were to be accumulated among all the class. For example, if a student was late for 1st, 2nd and 3rd in one day, does that equal 3 days of lunch detention?
Koontz clarified, “No, lunch detention is only given for 3 tardies in one specific class so it is not determined by a total of all your classes together.”
Students wanted to know whether the tardies go away every 9 weeks or do they add up over the whole semester.
“To make it fair for all students, the tardies add up regardless of the time in between receiving them,” said Mr. Koontz.
One concern about the tardy policy is that it might encourage students to take an absence instead of a tardy since the consequence for an absence may not be as immediate or as severe.
“Our goal with this policy is not to punish students but instead to help them realize that it’s important that they show up on time and ready for class," said Koontz. "It's mostly targeted to students who instead of coming straight to class they go and get food or stay at home sleeping, not really to those students who are a minute or two late.”
For some students, their driving situation is something far from their control. Many students are dependent on parents or friends. These students are typically only late by a few minutes but are still counted tardy.
In response Koontz said that although these may be out of their control, students need to try to encourage themselves and their parents to leave earlier if they know that they may not be able to arrive on time.
“These policies are always changing, nothing is set in stone and this is just the first iteration to see if it works,” said Mr. Koontz. “And so far it has. Watauga is reporting its highest attendance and has seen a significant decrease in tardies compared to the last two years. All we really want is for students to be on time and ready to work.”
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